Watch bezel and crystal.



C. L. DEPOLLIER.

WATCH BEZEL AND CRYSTAL. APPLICATION HLED 1|;1Y15.1917.

1,239,467. PatentedSept. 11, 1917.

CHARLES L. DEIE'OLLIER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WATCH BEZEL AND CRYSTAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

Application filed May 15, 1917. serial No. 168,644.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. DEroLLrER, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the borough of Brooklyn of the city of New York, count'y of Kings, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Watch Bezels and Crystals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

The greatly increased use of wrist-watches by military men and Sportsmen developed the necessity for and the production of nonbreakable crystals to replace the fragile crystals of glass previously used. Con. tinued use of the unbreakable crystals has shown that they are not only quite susceptible to changes in temperature which result in expansion and contraction but that in long continued use they are liable ,to shrinkage, due to the character of the composition of which they are made. In order that such a crystal may be retained permanently in its bezel, notwithstanding expansionand contraction or possible shrinkage, efforts have been made to prevent the loosening of the crystal in the bezel, as by springing the concavo-conveX crystal into the bezel so that it shall be always under tension and by making the joint between the crystal and the bezel of such a character that a limited amount of contraction or shrinkage can take place without completely disengaging the crystal from the bezel. It is the object of the present invention to provide a different and more satisfactory means for overcoming the difiiculty referred to, and especially means that shall insure under all conditions a tight joint between the crystal and the bezel and shall involve very little expense in the preparation and assemblage of the crystal and bezel. In accordance with the invention, advantage being taken of the toughness of the unbreakable crystal, as distinguished from the brittleness of ordinary glass, provision is made whereby'the beze and the crystal are engaged or interlocked so that the crystal cannot pull away from the bezel. To effect the formation of such a joint in the most convenient manner Ithe 4bezel is formed, in its inner circumferential edge, with a circumferential groove or recess, to receive, between its upper and lower walls, the edge of the crystal, one or the other or both of the upper and'lower members or walls being formed'with a rib or projections to engage the crystal in a manner to prevent thewithdrawal from the groove of the bezel. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which it is illustrated and in which,-

Figure l is a View in section of a bezel and crystal in which the invention is embodied in a suitable form.

Fig. 2 is a detail view in section of the bezel shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar respectively to Figs. l and 2, but showing a different embodiment'of the invention.

Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing a further modification.

Figs. 7 -and 8 are respectively an inner edge view and a view in section illustrating a further modification.

The bezel L of metal and the crystal of the tough, transparent composition commonly called unbreakable glass, or even of ordinary glass, may be of any desired shape, either round, like the ordinary bezel and crystal, or of any of the more fanciful shapes.` In each illustrated embodiment of the invention the inner edge of the bezel is formed with' a peripheral groove or recess c, which is adapted to receive, between the upper and lower walls or members-a', a2, the peripheral edge of the crystal. The latter, preferably having the usual concavo-conveX form, has an outside diameter greater than tlie minimum, inside diameter of the bezel. It may or may not be of such diameter as to bemaintained in a state of tension when in place in the bezel, it being immaterial, so far as the invention is concerned, whether the crystal be in a state of tension or not. Before the crystal and bezel are assembled, the groove or recess c is opened or spread somewhat soV as to permit the crystal to be seated easily in the groove, one or both of the members a and a2 being formed with a rib or projection. to engage the crystal positively when the two members are pressed together uponv the crystal. The crystal itself, according to its degree of hardness, may or'may not be formed on one face or are formed with ribs a? and a to enter correspending grooves b3 and b4 formed in the opposite faces of the crystal. If the composition of which the crystal is formed is not so hard as to resist penetration, it may be unnecessary to form the grooves or recesses in the crystal before the .bezel and' crystal are assembled. The opposed faces of the two members a', a may be formed with teeth or tooth-like projections, as indicated at a in Figs. 7 and 8, so that when they are pressed toward each other upon the crystal the teeth or tooth-like projections will enter the crystal and effect the positive engagement or interlocking of the bezel and crystal so that the crystal cannot pull away from the bezel as it contracts. It will be understood, of course, that in the embodiments of t-he invention shown in Figs. 1-6, the two jaws or members of the bezel are pressed toward each other upon the crystal, each jaw forming an abutment against which the crystal is pressed when the other jaw is itself pressed tightly upon the crystal, the rib or ribs in one jaw or the other or both then entering the corresponding groove or grooves inthe approximate surface of the crystal.

It will be understood, of course, not only that the invention may be applied to watchbezels and crystals of different shapes, but

that it may be applied also to clocks, compasses and other instruments in which transparent covers are to be secured in place over a dial or othervvise.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination of a. crystal and abezel, the bezel being formed with a groove or recess in its inner edge to receive the edge of the crystal, and one of the opposing walls of the groove or recess being formed with a projection adapted to be forced into engagement with the corresponding face of the crystal to prevent the crystal from being drawn apart from the bezel.

2. The combination of a crystal and a bezel, the crystal being formed with a groove in one face thereof near its edge, the bezel being formed with a groove or recess in its inner edge to receive the edge of the crystal, and one of the opposing walls of the groove or recess being formed with a projecting rib adapted to be forced into engagement with the groove in the corresponding face of the crystal to prevent the crystal from being drawn apart from the bezel.

This specification signed this 11th day of May, A. D. 1917.

CHARLES L. DEPOLLIER. 

